The NewsDemon Blog

USENET Newsgroup access may become faster on the go as several industry heavyweights are getting behind an effort to roll out the next generation of WiMAX technology, which boasts peak rates of more than 300 Mbps.

Although WiMAX has barely carved out a place in the market, a number of WiMAX supporters have announced the next version of the technology, WiMAX2. Newsgroups report that a slew of technology and warless companies each announced commitments to both the technology and to make their devices interoperable. WiMAX2 technology, according to technology newsgroups, will provide 300-Mbits of throughput, with less latency and more bandwidth available for applications like VOIP calls.

The technology provides a low-cost, open network system with an all IP mobile Internet solution that enables efficient and scalable networks for voice, data, and video transmission.

Presently there are two forms of WiMAX – “Fixed WiMAX” (802.16d) for faster Wi-Fi Hotspot / Wi-Fi ISP style network replacement and “Mobile WiMAX” (802.16e) for use as a 3G replacement by mobile phone operators. Mobile WiMAX can deliver download speeds of up to 144Mbps (35Mbps uploads), though in a real-world environment you wouldn’t expect more than 30Mbps. WiMAX2 is designed to meet IMT-Advanced (4G) standards which require delivering 1Gbps access speeds to fixed locations and 100Mbps to fast moving mobile nodes, low latency and capacity for VoIP.

Intel suggested that the new standard could help in the eventual transition from WiMax as the platform begins to feel the strain of increased data traffic from smartphone and multimedia file transfers. The new standard, which will be endorsed by the US electronics industry body Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), will only be the first step in a three-year process before products start hitting the market. The working group, including seven other firms, expects certification of products to start by late next year, following which production can start in 2012.

According to official sources the WiMAX Forum tracks about 559 WiMAX deployments in 147 countries covering over 620 million people globally. Also it was revealed that more than 130 devices and 60 base stations have been certified by the WiMAX Forum for the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands.